The 174th Hunger Games: The Rebels
by Tillandsia Rhayne
Summary: Katniss has long since passed and the new Capitol decided to go back to the old ways because it was better then. District 13 was made an example out of again, this time being buried alive. The Capitol decided that a restart of the Hunger Games would be the punishment. But something has been found in the ruins of thirteen…a symbol of hope.
1. Fatal Attraction

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games. This amazing series is owned by none other than the lovely Suzanne Collins. Thank you for giving us something so great to read :D**

Katniss has long since passed and the new generation has emerged. The Capitol, or shall I say, the Capitol's descendants decided shortly after her death to go back to the old ways. Food is scarce, they say. Times are hard, they say. It was better then, they say.

Of course, Katniss was easily forgotten. Fire only burns so long. Once the oxygen is gone, it dies too. Not to mention, after Coin's death, District 13 wasn't exactly organized anymore. The Capitol was quick to make an example out of it yet again. This time, they buried it. Buried it alive.

The Capitol pointed out that the Districts of Panem had violated their Treaty of Treason and must pay. The Capitol decided they would be generous. The Hunger Games will continue and if the districts follow the rules additional punishments would not be added. We are giving you one more chance to prove your loyalty, they say.

And this is how it has been ever since.

But something has been found. Something that was left behind. In the ruins of thirteen they say the symbol was there. Out of the dirt came the one symbol of hope. The Mockingjay pin. The memory of Katniss Everdeen, The Girl On Fire.

And now it's our turn for change. We need to make sure that this doesn't repeat. How can we do that, how can we be better than fire? We need a different method. We need this time to be official. Please let the odds be in _our_ favor this time.

Welcome to a new start. Welcome to history. Welcome to the rebellion.

**Ladies and Gentlemen, let the Hundred and Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games Begin.**

**Tillandsia Rhayne**

I laid on the makeover bed, not really listening to the stylist's chitchat. I caught a few sentences here and there such as, "I'm glad we get the prettiest ones this year." And "Oh, did you hear about the costume, I heard it's going to be absolutely beautiful!" But my mind was somewhere else. My mind was with the reaping. I was thinking of, what could have been (please, I hope not), my last moments I ever had with my loved ones.

_I was frozen and couldn't get my feet to move. Tillandsia Odair! The name was still ringing in my ears. Was that my name? No, it couldn't be, it was someone else's. How I had managed to avoid the games for so long, only to come to this. And I was almost done, almost made it. My sister gave me a little shove to help my feet along, snapping me out of my trance._

_I looked down and realized I was squeezing Xanthus's hand hard enough to whiten my knuckles. "I'm sorry," I whispered before kissing his cheek. But sorry for what? For squeezing the circulation from his hand, or for much more. He just looked at me with great, big eyes, sure enough holding back the tears that were on the verge of spilling. "Don't cry," I wiped my thumb across his cheek. "Mia will take good care of you while I'm gone," I managed a smile, just for him. At that moment, I knew that I would have to be brave. For him, for my family, for Spader. I took a deep breath, straightened myself and began to walk toward the stage, fearing to give Spader even the barest of glances. I couldn't stand to see his face, not now after I had been called. I couldn't bear to see the pain I was sure would be there. As I faced the audience, I stood with more confidence than I really had. Inside, I was screaming, crying, kicking. But I knew those actions would get me nowhere. I continued to avoid his gaze. Not now, I couldn't cry now._

My mind continued to wander as they did my makeup, my hair.

_They were each allowed in to say their final goodbyes, one at a time. Mom came in first, no doubt anxious and worried. She practically ran into the room, probably pushed Dad out of the way, insisting she had to see her 'baby girl' first. "Tilly, my sweet, sweet Tilly," she hadn't used the nickname since I was seven. "My little baby girl," and she couldn't say anymore, just burst into tears, holding me so tightly I was sure I would pass out from lack of oxygen. She held me until her time was up, and still they had to pry her off of me. "I love you," she gasped through her tears. _

"_I love you too, mom," and by this time, I was crying too._

_Dad was next, sitting silently next to me. He never was much of a talker, but he cared. He always cared. "You're strong, Tilly, you can make it," his voice was gruff, holding back the tears he couldn't show. That was my dad, always trying to be strong. He was the strength of the family. "Take this," he grabbed my hand and placed something into it, closing my fingers around the small object. "You're allowed to bring one token to the games with you; this was from a victor long ago. A family heirloom now, never thought we'd need it again." I opened my palm to reveal a gold bangle with a flame pattern. _

"_Thank you, dad." He pulled me into a tight hug and kissed my cheek before exiting, not saying another word. That was okay, because I didn't know what to say either._

_Next came Merremia. She walked briskly, but not the full-on run that mother had. "I'm gonna name my first baby girl after you, I swear it, Tilly." There was that nickname today, so precious, so well kept. Reminding us all of the days before this. My sister, always looking on the bleak side of things, already expecting me to die. But I know she didn't mean any harm, so I just responded the only way I could. _

"_Thank you, Mia." She pulled me into a quick hug, whispering 'good luck' in my ear and giving me a kiss on the cheek as she pulled away. _

"_Love you, Tilly." "Love you too, Mia," I said as she walked out of the room._

_Xanthus came next, looking down at his hands and shuffling his feet as he walked in. "Tilly, don't die," the words brought a smile to my face, and I started to giggle, I couldn't help it. It was just so ironically funny. "Tilly!" he exclaimed. "I'm serious, you gotta come back home! Who's gonna help me finish my boat?" He was making direct eye contact now. Seeing him this serious, I couldn't help but get serious myself. _

"_I'll try my hardest, I promise." _

"_Swear by it?" "I swear." He held out his pinky, "pinky promise you'll come home?" And even though I didn't know if I could keep it, I did it anyway, _

"_I pinky promise," I locked my pinky with his and pulled him into a big hug. I kissed him on the forehead. _

"_Love you, Tilly," he muttered against my shoulder. _

"_Love you too, Xanny," tears were running down my cheeks again._

_Last was Spader. Of course he would come. I didn't want him to see my like this, but I didn't really have a choice. Besides, he would want to say his last goodbyes too, wouldn't he? That's what they all thought. This was the last. He came in, not saying a word, just pulling me against his chest in a warm embrace. I was almost a hundred percent sure he was crying. He was stroking my hair and only then did I realize I was muttering, "I love you," over and over again. He pulled back and I could see the hollowness in his eyes. He had already given up hope. _

"_I love you, Tilly, just…just try and come back, alright?" I just nodded, speechless in his presence. He kissed me and it had so much finality in it I could tell he never expected me back. "I'll be watching you every second." One last kiss and he was gone._

A man walked in, carrying my costume and tearing me away from my thoughts. I couldn't help but wonder at its beauty. "I hope that means you like it," he smiled at my dumbfounded expression. His name was Valen and he appeared to be in his mid-thirties. His voice was soft, matching his expression. He had short, blond hair that swirled around his head in an intricate pattern. I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be curly, or it was styled that way. "I wanted to give the illusion of mermaid without it being in your face. I wanted it to stand out." He pulled it over my head and finished dressing me with a matching headdress and shoes.

The dress was full length and silver, but that's where it stopped being ordinary. It appeared to be made out of scales, which was probably Valen's intention. It had a long V-neck, ending right beneath my breasts, revealing the area between them. There was no coverage on the shoulders, the fabric just circling around my neck. The dress flared at the hips, the scales appeared to jut out of it, hugging my body more and more as it got closer to my feet. The dress ended right above my ankles in the front to let my feet peek out, but continued onto the floor in the back. I had on silver strappy heels that showed a lot of skin and resembled a sandal. My headdress encircled my neck and went right up to my lower lip. From there, it had two silver pieces, also resembling scales, moving inward on my cheeks and forehead. The rest of the headdress was some sort of netting around her hair, which was pulled into a tightly braided bun.

"It's beautiful. Thank you." Maybe I could get a couple of sponsors from this dress. Maybe I could win.

**Ryker Lynn**

It took all of my willpower not to punch them in their fucking faces. Excitement? They were _excited_ to go and watch us die? I couldn't stand it. On and on and on. They talked about hair, nails, makeup, outfits. Even the men. What kind of men were they? It was just too much for me. I had to think about something or I really was going to snap. And that sure as hell wouldn't be pretty.

Of course the closest thing on my mind was the reaping…

_Ladies first, that's how it worked. I watched the poor girl tear herself away from her family and bravely make her way to the stage. She was avoiding eye contact. Poor, poor girl. And familiar. She may have been in one or two of my classes, but I could've sworn she was a year younger than me. Smart…probably really smart. It was always sad to see the ones who deserved to stay go…so much wasted intelligence and beauty._

_I was too busy thinking about her that I didn't even notice that they had called my name until my mother began sobbing uncontrollably next to me. It wasn't good for her, exerting herself. I went to her aid immediately. "Mom, shhhhh, mom," I could tell she was having trouble breathing, "Mom, you're gonna stop breathing. C'mon it'll be okay." But then I knew. Knew from the look on her face why she thought it wouldn't and my blood ran cold. _

_I looked up at the stage where the girl stood ashen faced, albeit confident, and didn't have a doubt in my mind that my face was about the same shade of white. It now echoed in my ears as if I heard it to begin with. _"Ryker Zeal." _That was me…..oh shit. I'm so sorry mom…_

They touched my face with some sort of warm liquid, pulling my out of my trance. Seconds later it felt as though they decided to rip the skin off of my face. "Fuck!" I sat up so quickly, the whole crew took a nervous step back. "Why the fuck…?"

"Mr. Zeal, if you could just…?" the look of concern on the girl's face made me stop, but only just. I was still breathing hard and hadn't lain back down yet.

"You could've at least warned me…" I tried again to go back into my thoughts. Their chatter was already annoying me again.

_My older brother was the first to wish me good luck, or was this goodbye? He shook my hand and gave me that half hug that brothers do. Now was not the time for an overly emotional moment. We both knew that there was a strong chance I wasn't coming back. "Good luck," he placed his hand on my shoulder in a fatherly gesture. There wasn't much more to say than that. _

"_Thanks Dune," and with a slight nod he was gone._

_Next was my father. Good ol' silent dad. I'm actually surprised he had the nerve to even come. "What are you doing here?" I arched my eyebrow. _

"_You don't think I would want to wish my son luck…?" _

"_I didn't think you remembered you had a son…or should I say sons?" I made direct eye contact with him, daring him to look away first._

"_Look, I know what you and Dune must think of me…and what your mother must have said about me…"_

"_Leave my mom out of this. She hasn't said shit about you and probably never will. You're nothing anymore. You're not part of the family. It was your choice to leave. Leave us when you needed us the most. And you can do the same right now. Goodbye, Jonah." He wasn't dad….not anymore._

"_Bye Ryker, good luck." His voice was gruff, but now was not the time for amends. He should've thought about that so long ago._

_Last was mom. She looked so…lost. I felt like she was the one going to fight for her death. I couldn't stand to see her like this. I pulled her into my arms and held her. "Mom, I love you and I'll fight for you. I will try my hardest to make it back to you and then I can give you the world. I'll get you better mom."_

"_Honey, please," she was saying her words in between long intakes of air, "I just wish you could come back in one peace. You know you'll always be my baby." And I held her for the rest of the time until the peacekeeper said she had to leave._

The primping was finally done and it was time to see what ridiculous costume they had in store for me. What they expected me to graciously wear in front of thousands of criticizing eyes. A man entered the room introducing himself as Valen. He was nice enough, but then began talking about my costume. It was all a blur of words until one stuck out "pirate," it made me come to my senses.

"Pirate? Argh, matey…shiver me timbers? Isn't that a bit childish for the audience?"

Valen politely smiled. "No. A rebel. A real pirate. And, you'll have a story. Know anything about mermaids?"

I shrugged and nodded slightly. I knew something. Not much…more than pirates I hoped.

"Good, good. Your mermaid is in the next room. I was thinking 'fatal attraction.' Let's show the capitol what you two can do," he gave me a little wink, and with that left, leaving my pirate costume for the crew to dress me up in.

I actually liked it. Really liked it. I looked down at my soft brown pants that were surprisingly comfortable and very easy to maneuver in. My cream colored shirt laid over them in a similar fashion to a stage coat, except the flaps were in the front. The button-up shirt was covered by a heavier brown jacket, made from some leather -like material. Perhaps real leather. I had boots that came up to my shins that were also made of leather. A satchel and gun belt completed the outfit giving it that extra dangerous vibe. I could definitely get used to this. Now to get my mermaid…


	2. The Act

**Tillandsia Rhayne**

I didn't know what to say to him. 'Hey, I'm thinking about killing you? Hey…you know we can never be on the same team, right?' It was just so hard. Yeah, we were from the same district, but could I really spare his life when it meant sacrificing myself? What about Xanny…what about Spader. Not to mention the rest of my family. I guess it was all just an act anyhow. I was at least raised correctly…I had manners.

He walked up to me looking, well to put it bluntly, hot. He definitely wasn't lacking physically. [I would like to add here that if an actor were to play Ryker, it would be Ian Somerhalder-**T.R.**] He was wearing and outfit that suit him well. Made him look like part of the sea. I couldn't help but blush when he held out his hand for me. "M'lady," he greeted me with a kiss on my knuckles. "How fair ye' today?" He winked in such a way that it seemed natural. What an idiot.

"Wonderful," I said in the softest of voices. It surprised me how I managed to make it not sound sarcastic. I guess he had that affect...the guy who knew how to put anyone in a good mood. Even if you were on your way to die…

"Well, shall we go then?" he took my hand and led me to our carriage. I mostly ignored the rest of the tributes. I didn't really want to get to know the people I had to kill. I would stick to as few as possible. And since I had to have this stupid love image, I guess Ryker was one person I had to at least play nice with.

I let out a small gasp when he decided to whisk me up and carry me bridal style into the carriage. I was so not expecting that. The cameras noticed and immediately put us on the large screen. This was, no doubt, what the viewers at home were seeing on their TVs. Me and Ryker, such a happy couple. I tried to push away… what would Spader think? Would it even matter? But he held me tightly against him. I heard a whisper in my ear, "Trust me," but what was there to trust. Didn't he want to kill me just as badly as I wanted to kill him? I let it go for now. It was just an act right? An act for the sponsors…

I managed to play along like a nice little girl, even throwing my feet over the side of the carriage. It was easy enough in the position that Ryker had me in. I waved like a queen of the seas out from the carriage, smiling and actually enjoying the attention. I almost felt relaxed. Almost. Until I realized that the arms that held me now could very well be the arms that killed me later.

The cameras couldn't get enough of us and just to play it up, I placed the barest of kisses on his cheek. I swore his hold got a little tighter, but I wasn't going to assume anything. We were enemies. Ever since both names were picked, it was game over from there.

Just as soon as it started it was over. Just like that. No more pretending and I could go back to ignoring him. But for some reason, he just wouldn't let that happen. "Ryker," he said casually while exiting the carriage. "I think you gathered that much from the Reaping though," he gave me a crooked smile. Damn, why did he still have to put up an act? It would be easier to kill him if he would just leave me be. "My friends call me Tilly, so I guess you can call me Tillandsia. Ms. Odair if you think that's too much of a mouthful." I could feel my eyes going cold.

"Okay, _Ms. Odair_," he emphasized the name, "you can lose the attitude. What was that out there if you're just going to be a bitch now?" He raised an eyebrow, expecting a response.

"You want to know what that was? That was called acting. Have you never heard of it? Why bother pretending behind closed doors if, in the end, we're going to have to kill each other anyway?" Didn't he understand? It would be worse getting to know someone…getting to _like_ someone only to lose them later on.

"But we don't have to be enemies…" he said it so quietly. I wanted to comfort him. I really did…but it just couldn't be that way.

"But we are. Now goodnight, the mentors will probably want to begin bright and early." I turned and left before he could say another word.

I sat in my room alone and couldn't help but thinking about him. Could I really bring myself to kill him if it came down to him and me? Hell, could I bring myself to kill anyone? It was just too much for me. What I needed was a dreamless sleep, but I had a feeling that wasn't going to happen tonight, if I got any sleep at all. The mentors would be here tomorrow…I wondered if he would want to train together or alone. Personally, I was going for alone, and he probably felt the same way after tonight. Well, that was to be decided later, for now I just needed some rest. We would show the gamemakers what we had first, so tomorrow would be a simple enough day. I won't have to worry about Ryker very much. Just me and my skills.

**Ryker Lynn**

Time to go meet my mermaid. She was a pretty girl and I already could tell I wasn't going to want to see her dead. In class, she was always really intelligent. I remembered that. I remembered respecting her, too. But I dropped out before I could really know her. Hell, I didn't want anyone to know me so she really wasn't any different. But she did deserve to go back home…but what about my mother? Could we possibly both go back home? Not a chance. But a rumor, right before I came. Didn't that happen once before?

Now wasn't the time to have thoughts like that, and lucky for me, my mermaid was a nice distraction. Like I said, I always thought that she was pretty…but this was just otherworldly. She was…a goddess in the form of a mermaid queen. That was definitely not the girl I sat in class with. [On a side note here, Tillandsia would be played by Troian Bellisario-**T.R.**]

Now it was time to get into character. What was Valen saying about pirates? Oh right, the nice accent. And of course courtship. I would want to court my fair maiden, wouldn't I? "M'lady," I took her hand and brushed my lips across her knuckles. Wooing the ladies. Wouldn't it be nice if I could actually go home and test if I was any good at this? "How fair ye' today?" I gave her a fine wink. She didn't seem to be buying anything. Maybe I could get to her…maybe somehow.

"Wonderful," she seemed so shy. So soft spoken, and it was rather adorable. Why did we have to be enemies?

"Well, shall we go then?" I led her to the carriage, being sure to pay attention to her and only her. I was going to make this 'act' work. The best way for others to believe you is to make yourself believe first, right?

It was a daring move, but now was not the time to over think things. I picked her up as if she was my bride and set her on my lap in the carriage. I heard her gasp and could tell she was displeased, but this was the way to woo the audience. She would thank me later for all of the sponsors we would get. I could feel her try and make me let go, but I grabbed on tighter. She was mine, at least for the cameras she would be. And how the cameras did love us. We took up the whole screen. What a nice image, me and my mermaid. My treasure.

"Trust me," I whispered so delicately in her ear. I wanted her to think I was her knight in shining armor. I was here to rescue her. I really didn't want any harm to come to her, and I would not be the one to kill her. Would she believe me?

After that, she seemed to enjoy herself. We were both so relaxed. Then she kissed me. It was working. How could it not? My treasure. I was her hero. It was good to know and I gave her a reassuring squeeze. We were a team now. We were going home together.

Afterwards, I thought it was only fair to have a little conversation. We had to plan things, and what better way to do that then to get to know your other half? "Ryker," I spoke like we were old friends. "I think you gathered that much from the reaping though," I smiled at her, doing my best to show that we were indeed friends.

""My friends call me Tilly, so I guess you can call me Tillandsia. Ms. Odair if you think that's too much of a mouthful." The bitch glared at me. Apparently I got the wrong message. But then why? What was she doing?

"Okay, _Ms. Odair_," I spat her choice in names, "you can lose the attitude. What was that out there if you're just going to be a bitch now?" I raised my eyebrow at her. If it was all just for show, she didn't have to lay in on that thick. She was hiding something. I mean, hell, I was scared too. But I wasn't the enemy here, didn't she know that?

"You want to know what that was? That was called acting. Have you never heard of it? Why bother pretending behind closed doors if, in the end, we're going to have to kill each other anyway?" She was scared. That was it. So scared of losing everything. Even if she did win…she was afraid that she would still lose…

I said in the calmest voice I could manage, "But we don't have to be enemies…"

"But we are. Now goodnight, the mentors will probably want to begin bright and early." And with that she turned and left without another word. So much for us planning together.

I went back to my room, the only thing I could do at this point, and lay in bed. About tomorrow…what could I show them? What would get me noticed? Perhaps I could even find a way to impress Tilly. I could tell this was going to be a sleepless night…


End file.
